North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un hasn't been seen in public since April 12 and his very noticeable disappearance is fueling rumors -- some of the fantastic -- as to the reasons why.
The most plausible theory as to his disappearance has Kim recovering at his palatial estate in the northeastern city of Wonsan from a botched heart surgery that nearly killed him, according to CNN. The surgery, which seems to have taken place at a hospital in Mount Myohyang was likely an angioplasty to insert a stent into one of Kim's blocked coronary arteries.
Kim is either in serious condition or in a vegetative state after the failed procedure. He's also being ministered by a team of doctors sent by China. Other theories claim Kim is brain dead as a result of the heart surgery went wrong.
Kim is obese and his more than 300 lbs is packed into a body only 172 cm tall. It's known he has a heart condition although exactly what this heart disease remains unclear. Kim's also known to suffer from painful attacks of gout and underwent a gout operation in 2014.
A North Korean defector has his own theory about Kim's absence from the public view. Lee Jeong Ho, a former high ranking official at one of the organizations that are part of the Workers' Party of Korea, had a slightly different take. Lee said Kim was badly wounded when a short-range cruise missile being tested exploded shortly after launch. He claims the accident occurred at 7:00 a.m. on April 14 and Kim was there to witness the test.
"Kim was absent from the reports of the tests while no footage of the missile launch and the training of combat aircraft was released, which points to the possibility of an unexpected accident that might have been caused by debris or fire," wrote Lee in a story published by the South Korean newspaper Dong-a Ilbo and quoted by the Express.
Lee believes Kim might have been "incapacitated" by the blast. He claims the fact the state-run Korean Central Broadcasting Committee didn't broadcast footage of this missile test indicates Kim was incapable of giving the broadcast order. Kim has to approve this kind of public broadcast by the committee.
Lee contends the failure to broadcast means Kim might have been incapacitated and unable to do so. He also rejected the idea of Kim being brain dead after botched heart surgery.
One of the more fantastic disappearance theories says Kim is suffering from a massive case of constipation after again overeating one of his favorite foods -- Swiss cheese. Kim is known for his love of cheese. In 2017, there were rumors Kim had to disappear from public view after eating too much Emmental cheese after a large shipment of it arrived from Switzerland.
On a more serious note, cheese is high in saturated fats, which can increase cholesterol levels and raise the risk of heart disease and stroke.
On Monday, however, the South Korean government said Kim is alive and well and is vacationing in Wonsan.
